Rep. Todd Richardson, R-Poplar Bluff, took over as speaker at the end of a turbulent 2015 regular session. In 2016, he’s leading the House through contentious issues like SJR 39, paycheck protection, voter ID and more. He sat down Thursday afternoon with The Missouri Times to talk about these issues, as well as the 2016 election.
Let’s start out with SJR 39. Were you surprised by the opposition from the business community?
I don’t think so. This is the kind of issue that obviously there are strong feelings on both sides. So I don’t think it was anything particularly unanticipated.
What could have made SJR 39 stronger?
That’s a question more appropriate for the bill sponsor and the handler. The Senate has sent us their version of it and I referred it to committee this week. We’ll see how the committee process works itself out in the House.
Do you think there might be a need for an amendment?
It’s really too early for me to tell. As I said to some folks before the break, [SJR 39] is going to be treated like the other pieces of legislation that come from the Senate and we’ll see how House members feel about it. I’m sure it will get a full and thorough vetting when it goes through committee.
Paycheck protection was a big accomplishment, getting it passed with a veto-proof majority. Do you see being able to maintain that veto-proof majority through an override vote?
I’m very optimistic that we’ll be able to and we’ll have some work to do before we override it. But overriding a governor’s veto is very difficult and there will be no exception to that. But I’m optimistic that we will be able to keep the coalition together enough to override the veto.
Are you worried at all about the Senate breaking down again over paycheck protection?
I try not to give too many comments on what is going to happen in the Senate, because usually I’m wrong. But I’m optimistic that if we send paycheck over, they’ll be able to get it done.
Do you hope the Senate gets voter ID sent back over?
Yeah, I do. Voter ID has been a priority for the House for a number of years and we were glad to get it sent over to them again. I know it’s a difficult issue over on the Senate side, but I am really hopeful that we are able to see that get done and it would be really one of the signature wins of the session if we’re able to do it.
So you don’t think there’s going to be a problem with them getting it over?
It will be very difficult for them as it’s been in the past, and that’s one of those issues that’s very difficult in the Senate and we understand that. But I’m optimistic that we’ll be able to do it. The leadership over there has expressed a commitment to trying to get it done and it’s a priority, not only for me, but also for the floor leader in the House. So hopefully we’ll see the Senate take action on the resolution and the bill.
Have you heard a compelling argument against voter ID?
No.
The candidate filing deadline passed this week. How do you see the 99th General Assembly turning out?
The way that the election is stacking up is going to be very very good for Republicans. I’m optimistic about not just what the environment looks like for Republicans, but the quality of our candidates. We have quality candidates across the state in very difficult districts and we start the election cycle with 66 seats that have no Democratic opposition. So I feel really good about our prospects of bringing back a strong veto-proof majority again and we’ve got the right team in place and the candidates to accomplish that.
Do you think you can grow your majority?
As we’ve gotten big, it’s harder and harder to grow that majority every year. But there are some seats that we don’t hold today that I know we’re going to be competitive in, so we’re going to have that opportunity. But we’ll just have to see how this cycle stacks out. I don’t like to set expectations high for our team.
The Senate passed tort reform. Do you think you’re going to be able to pass that with a veto-proof majority?
I don’t know what the vote count will look like on those yet. They’re out of committee and I expect some floor action on them in the next week or two, but I don’t know what the vote count is going to be on them yet.
Do you have a reaction to the presidential election race, and especially the latest Trump drama?
No, the process is still going on and it’s an exciting time to be a Republican. You see more enthusiasm and more turnout in Republican primaries than we’ve ever seen before and overall that’s a net good for the party. The guy that I was supporting is no longer in the race and obviously that’s a little disappointing, but the party’s going to have a strong nominee in November and a nominee that’s going to compete very well against Hillary Clinton.
Do you think if Donald Trump is the Republican nominee, it could affect how Republicans run in the state?
I don’t think so. If you look at the primary results in Missouri, the areas where we have competitive districts are actually areas where Trump ran very strong. But we’ve always run our House campaigns on the basis of the quality of our candidates and good solid campaigns and we’re going to continue to do that regardless of who the Republican nominee is.
Where do you see the governor race at right now?
Republicans are fortunate to have four quality candidates in the race and it’s good to see them engaging in a variety of forms. The voters are getting to learn more and more about who they are and the Republican nominee is going to be very competitive in November.
Your wife joined the board of Three Rivers Community College – have you given her any advice?
I told her, “Welcome to the world of making decisions that make people mad.” I’m excited for her. She’s eminently qualified to be on that board. She’s a psychologist by training and has got the type of temperament that would be really good in that job. She’s got a passion for seeing the institution do better, so I’m excited for her.
